Northwest Washington Overview

Northwestern Washington and the San Juan Islands stretches along the Puget Sound. To the north, the San Juan Islands draw visitors interested in bird and whale watching, sailing, and bicycle touring, or simply those looking to sample a relaxed lifestyle. An exciting sea kayaking destination, each island island has a geographic and lifestyle personality of its own. The area is accessed by bridges and ferries from the mainland.

Skiing and snowboarding has never been better at Mt. Baker east of mild-weathered Bellingham. A drive east from the coast along the North Cascades Highway traverses the panoramic wilderness of North Cascades National Park, and allows access for hikers and backpackers, as well as those looking for a scenic route to Lake Chelan.

The largest city in the northwest United States, Seattle has much to offer year-round. Famed as a center for arts and cultural, the Seattle region also hosts fine dining, museums, and sporting events. At the Pike Place Market, visitors can grab a cup of coffee at the original Starbucks, and enjoy the city outline at dusk from the Space Needle.

Links to Detailed Coverage

Biking in Northwest Washington

The Cascade mountains, which stretch along the entire eastern edge of this region, are known around the world as a premiere mountain biking destination. Singletrack trails down steep Mt. Rainier gullies and woodland doubletracks less than an hour out of Seattle are just part of the draw. Thanks to the neighbors to the north, North Shore style trails can be found out of Bellingham and around Mount Baker.

Road biking the San Juan Islands is one of the more unforgettable experiences that can be found in Washington. The few roads on each island are very biker-friendly, with little automobile travel. Arriving to an island by ferry, and exploring the unique charms and rolling hills that each island has to offer, from tulip nurseries and historic farms to panoramic views of the Puget Sound, is for many road and mountain bikers alike the trip of a lifetime.

Boating and Fishing in Northwest Washington

The Puget Sound area has long been a locus for boating, with busy ports that hum with the activity of trade from Asia, cruise liners departing to Alaska, and independent fishing boats catching the finest fresh fish in the northwest. The access points to the Sound are numerous, and great calm-water boating in Lake Washington and Lake Union via sailboat, kayak, or yacht means world class floating on some of the largest natural lakes in Washington, all within the Seattle metro area.

In the Puget Sound, you need not charter a boat to explore the many waterways and inlets. The Washington ferry system, the largest such system in the United States, has extensive coverage of the area. The half hour ferry trip out of Seattle to Bainbridge Island is a popular trip for locals to watch the setting sun reflect across the Seattle skyline. For more information about this unique method of travel, visit our Seattle page.

The Puget Sound and San Juan Islands have been drawing anglers to the pacific northwest for hundreds of years. In Seattle fishing outfitters depart to the west, while to the east Lake Washington, the second largest natural lake in Washington, is well populated with bass, perch, and trout.

For the unlucky few who get skunked during a day fishing in the waters surrounding Whidbey Island, Seattle and the fresh catch at Pike Place Market is only a half hours ferry ride.

Hiking in Northwest Washington

Hundreds of trailheads are within easy drive from Seattle and Tacoma. Mount Rainier National Park is always an attractive destination, and the surrounding forests around the Cascade Range are loaded with waterfalls and mountain streams worth exploring.

In the north, the Cascades reach North Cascades National Park. Roads into this area are limited, which translates to an ideal location. While most Washington residents will escape to the mountains when possible, Bellingham itself has an extensive system of waterfront parks for day hikes, and much exploring in the San Juan Islands can be accomplished on foot.

Skiing / Snowboarding in Northwest Washington

A half-dozen ski resorts follow the Pacific Crest Trail through the Cascade Range, most within a short drive from Seattle to the west, and Leavenworth and Ellensburg to the east. Close to Mount Rainier, itself a world class backcountry (and very technical) winter destination, Crystal Mountain is the largest ski resort in Washington.

East of Bellingham, Mt Baker Ski Resort provides a powdery taste of what awaits heli-skiing in the North Cascades.